Jtm's and 1959's

[brogh]

Hello all, I'm looking into those two lately for a ... let's call it " route change "

anyone owning one of them .. or both like to share some fist hand experience ? I'm probably more leaning to the jtm45 for the more contained power, 59 seems a bit much, and also i don't play arenas....
As far as i got the 59 seems to be a bit more angry, but i'd like to hear your take on it, does these two have "quirks" ? , things to look for buying used ( non vintage ) besides the usual tube amp checks caps etc .. ?

What about attenuators ? if i'm not mistaking marshall 4x12 (1960ax) are 16 ohms, i see there are a limited number of attenuators for 16 ohm, most are 8, im really looking at the oxbox but it's kinda pricey but has a lot of great features. ( anyone owning one ? )

Thanks !

 

[dom ray mustang]

I'm owning 2 JTM45/100 clones, and another amp which can be set this way, that it resembles a 1967/1968 Super Bass, but with Super Lead tonestack.
Several of my friends own old 70s Super Leads and Super Bass amps and I've done service and restauration work on appr. 5 70s four-hole 100W amps.
Which would be a desert island amp out of these? quite every one of the listed above.

But down to the tonal differences:
JTM45/100:
That'sthe one with the most tweed genes out of the bunch. Bassy character, which leads to a bit of a slower feel of the amp.
Cranked, you eun that amp with bass 0-2, mids 7-10, treble 7-10, presence 6-10.
A classic single coil guitar is not really able to push these into the typical Marshall overdrive bliss.
Compared to the other Plexis, the JTM45/100 doesn't peoject its punch so much in forward direction, it broadens it more. People seeking that fast snappy Marshall spank and *twang* will prefer later models. An open H chord aounds glorious with a JTM45/100, in comparison the later ones shine on A chorsa more, that's my feeling at least.
Great pedal platform. All frequencies are there. Full. Super Leads cut more.
I've gigged with my JTM45/100 around 5 years. For straight out rock music I missed a bit bass note definition, so I built that 67/68 Super Lead/Super Bass amp which just lets me forget about thinking about 'my' sound.

Super Leads and Super Basses are glorious versatile amps.
My favourite of these is a Super Lead from 1972, but it came originally with the shared cathode configurarion on V1. That amp has everything you can wish for.
Not icepicky in normal settings, and with its 5000pF bright cap there's so much transparency and growl and angriness. You can play that amp at volume 5, and it sounds clear and focused and it feels like it's turned up to 8.

Another friend of mine owns a 90s 100w SL reissue. Good amp, but not the same league.

Regarding attenuators, I've tried a few and the one which alters the tone the least is a Sequis Motherload Elemental. They're discontinued, so one option is searching for a used one or checking out alternatives. Those EL34 strongly prefer reactive loads.

So basically it's really down what sound you're looking for. If you want JTM45, JTM45/100, 1959, 1992, 1987 (50W).

The 50W reissues sound way closer to the original ones from the 70s, then the 100Ws to the old ones.

When looking for an original one, then most likely you wanna keep it original.
With a reissue it doesn't hurr when you modify things.

Or an old one which is modded to death. Those are great and cheaper amps which can be build back to original specs.

I'd not sweat about the filter caps of those things ( as long there are no hints of failire), these are the most rugged and most long-life caps ever made IMO (Hunts, Erie).
Even when in this forum the norm is to swap old caps for new ones, many original caps are still going strong.

...and speakers, get well broken-in G12Hs for JTM or Super Bass and G12M for a Super Lead.

Hope that kinda info helps

 

[gridlock]

I’ve owned a ‘74 1959 and a 1962HW (JTM) Bluesbreaker.

I liked them both. I used an attenuator with the 1959. Both amps were very loud.

If I was going with another Marshall head it would probably be a handwired JTM (no longer in production), mainly because less wattage and I prefer amps that are tube rectified.

 

[fenderchamp]

A JTM45 is a bit tamer than the 1959, If you aren't really turning them up, you might not notice as much.

If I wanted a marshall and I was going to be using an attenuator, I think I'd have to go 100 watt superlead.

If I wanted to get a JTM45 I think I might consider getting a Blues breaker combo instead.

I've tried a few attenuators, Power soak, power brake and an airbrake. but I never loved any of them.

I've ended up with a Fryette PS100 I like it so far. It's feels more real than the other attenuators I've tried. Plus it gives you a few modern niceties along with the beauty of a vintage style nmv head.

Have fun! Try everything out before you commit to it if possible.

 

[Dacious]

Basically what the others said. You can get a 60s almost grind from the JTM45. Think Bad Company or Big Jet Airplane. Or clean blues like early Stones/Clapton. You won't get anything approaching crunch until you get to 1959 spec. My friend's got a clone which sounds glorious through Greenbacks but it needs pedals for dirt.

Early AC/DC they used lots of different amps but one of the most common recorded was Angus's Black Flag JTM50 - sort of a halfway house. Solid state rectifier and a few components changed. Very early in they made a decision to stick with guitar cable amp and that's pretty much what you hear.

ACDC in early clips had some Aussie amps like Fhones which are probably closer to a Hiwatt - super clean, big sounding with a pair of kt88s or 6550s being driven to 80 watts or Eminars with 4 EL34s

If you want more post Zep II you'd want the 1959 preamp.

 

[Annies Dad]

I would take a look at the Metropoulos Metroplex, the Suhr SL68, a Friedman, or a Ceriatone.

British Style JCM52 All Access - Ceriatone

The most flexible JCM style amp available in the market today!

ceriatone.com

Metropoulos Amplification - Metro-Plex

The official Metropoulos website for the Metro-Plex, Super-Plex, DVL-1 and other designs by George Metropoulos

www.metropoulos.net

https://www.suhr.com/electronics/amplifiers/suhr-sl/

 

[Torren61]

I can't speak from personal experience about the differences between the JTM and the 1959 except I once owned a Metropoulos Metroplex 50 watt. I CAN, however, speak about the Fryette Power Station. Mine is a PS2 good for up to 100 watts. It's SO good. I currently have an early 1973 Marshall JMP 1987 Lead 50 watt head going into the PS2 and then going into a late 1972 Marshall 4X12 head and I can dime that amp but get the room volume from talking volume to bypassed. The Fryette solves all of the tone suck problems of standard attenuators. Worth every penny.

Fryette PS‑2 Power Station Integrated Reactance Amplifier 2010s - Silver | Reverb

Incredible unit, very few hours turned on.It does it all, includes retail box.

reverb.com

 

[brogh]

Thanks for all the replies guys, i'm gonan go to a shop today to see some marshalls, i'm in EU most us brands ( except the high end ones are really not a thing here )

I'm kinda really oriented for the Studio series, as much as id' love what @gridlock posted (), i'm not gigging, it's just pure personal enjoyment and piss of the neighbours , superleads ans jtm/45's would be kinda excessive altough dream looking i'm not sure in my case they would be that "practical".

the studio besides the lower wattage has a lot of nice features on, di/effects loop, which imho is really not bad to have.

I'm gonna go to shop today to try them out if possible, they just don't have the 2x12 cab, i love 2x12 i'm not sure i'm gonna like to get the combo, altough it would be even more practical .. but i'm a glutton ... so ( i could eventually add the 1 x 12 extension later if i want... )

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions !!!




and that's how he ended up with a full stack with 59 100 W super lead

 

[gridlock]

Thanks for all the replies guys, i'm gonan go to a shop today to see some marshalls, i'm in EU most us brands ( except the high end ones are really not a thing here )

I'm kinda really oriented for the Studio series, as much as id' love what @gridlock posted (), i'm not gigging, it's just pure personal enjoyment and piss of the neighbours , superleads ans jtm/45's would be kinda excessive altough dream looking i'm not sure in my case they would be that "practical".

the studio besides the lower wattage has a lot of nice features on, di/effects loop, which imho is really not bad to have.

I'm gonna go to shop today to try them out if possible, they just don't have the 2x12 cab, i love 2x12 i'm not sure i'm gonna like to get the combo, altough it would be even more practical .. but i'm a glutton ... so ( i could eventually add the 1 x 12 extension later if i want... )

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions !!!




and that's how he ended up with a full stack with 59 100 W super lead

I have big and small amps. My keeper Marshall Studio amp, is the JTM ST20C. I love it, in fact I sold one of my bigger Marshall amps because I like the little 20 watt Studio JTM so well.

I’ve also owned two other Studio models, a Studio JMP SV20H and a Mini Jubilee combo.

The JMP SV20H was super loud and to my ears lacked bottom end (bass), at least at the volumes that I usually play. The SV20 needs an attenuator or equivalent (JHS Little Black Box) for overdrive at reasonable volumes. The JMP SV20 wasn’t OD pedal friendly at the lower volumes I needed (lack of bass and fullness). At least, that was my experience with this particular amp.

I liked the Mini Jubilee. I’d did decent overdrive at moderate volumes without a pedal, but I wasn’t thrilled with the cleans. I had other similar amps at the time that sounded as good, so I sold it.

I bought a new JTM ST20C on a Black Friday sale at almost 1/2 off retail (USA). I liked it immediately. It has lots of bottom end, sounds great at lower volumes and takes all of my pedals well. Again, big full Marshall tone at reasonable volumes, and without an attenuator was key for me. I should mention that I am using an OD pedal in front of the amp, for lower volume gain.

The JTM is my favorite of the Marshall Studio models.

 

[brogh]

i'm looking exactly at that one

Off to the store

 

[gridlock]

i'm looking exactly at that one

Off to the store

Good luck!

 

[brogh]

oh well i should't have gone there ... damn ..

The amp is Sweet !!! sounds amazing and yeah .. it has a temper (volume) but to me and my situation is totally manageable, i know that i want to rock on the couch i'll need an attenuator but that's ok for now.

i played trough it 10 minutes and loved the sound, so it's the jtm studio 20 combo that i'm gonna get.

I also went there to figure out what my next damage is gonna be after the amp, i was trying to figure out neck sizes at the moment.
I'm on a higly dangerous flamy path here .. i don't know it's just the 59 fit like a glove ... but don't tell anyone .. let's get this baby home first.

Thanks Guys !!

 

[Dacious]

Thanks for all the replies guys, i'm gonan go to a shop today to see some marshalls, i'm in EU most us brands ( except the high end ones are really not a thing here )

I'm kinda really oriented for the Studio series, as much as id' love what @gridlock posted (), i'm not gigging, it's just pure personal enjoyment and piss of the neighbours , superleads ans jtm/45's would be kinda excessive altough dream looking i'm not sure in my case they would be that "practical".

the studio besides the lower wattage has a lot of nice features on, di/effects loop, which imho is really not bad to have.

I'm gonna go to shop today to try them out if possible, they just don't have the 2x12 cab, i love 2x12 i'm not sure i'm gonna like to get the combo, altough it would be even more practical .. but i'm a glutton ... so ( i could eventually add the 1 x 12 extension later if i want... )

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions !!!




and that's how he ended up with a full stack with 59 100 W super lead

It's worth checking out the 1 watt series but you'd be buying secondhand - there's a JTM, Plexi and JCM version. For home use with smaller cabinets they'd be the ducks nuts. But - the Studio series is also a good place to go.

My bandmate's got an Origin 20, it can actually cop both with the Tilt, Gain and Master controls. And on the low setting, it's almost loungeroom friendly.

 

[brogh]

It's worth checking out the 1 watt series but you'd be buying secondhand - there's a JTM, Plexi and JCM version. For home use with smaller cabinets they'd be the ducks nuts. But - the Studio series is also a good place to go.

My bandmate's got an Origin 20, it can actually cop both with the Tilt, Gain and Master controls. And on the low setting, it's almost loungeroom friendly.

Thanks !

I actually gonna buy new this time(for once), I don't wanna worry that much also hame some credit in the store

 

[colchar]

Hello all, I'm looking into those two lately for a ... let's call it " route change "

anyone owning one of them .. or both like to share some fist hand experience ? I'm probably more leaning to the jtm45 for the more contained power, 59 seems a bit much, and also i don't play arenas....
As far as i got the 59 seems to be a bit more angry, but i'd like to hear your take on it, does these two have "quirks" ? , things to look for buying used ( non vintage ) besides the usual tube amp checks caps etc .. ?

What about attenuators ? if i'm not mistaking marshall 4x12 (1960ax) are 16 ohms, i see there are a limited number of attenuators for 16 ohm, most are 8, im really looking at the oxbox but it's kinda pricey but has a lot of great features. ( anyone owning one ? )

Thanks !

Don't forget the SV20, which is the baby Plexi but still loud as hell. Switchable to five watts though.

The 1959 can work at home with an attenuator. Plenty of them out there, including a really good one the folks at the Marshall forum developed and now build. Other attenuators can work, like my Jet City Jettenuator.

If you are having trouble finding ones that work at 16 ohms, just remember that you can use a 2x12 instead of a 4x12. I use a Traynor 2x12 with Greenbacks at home and it is great; I use it with the baby Plexi and an Orange AD30.

As for the JTM45, I have no idea. I scored a 1962 Bluesbreaker reissue, which is a holy grail amp for me, a couple of days ago, but have been stupidly busy so haven't had time to play it yet. I do expect to need an attenuator with it though. Since I am now selling my SV20 I will use the Jettenuator with the Bluesbreaker.

 

[backporchmusic]

I recently got a JTM Studio 20 and am also thrilled with the sound and build quality. Made my Origin 20 sound, look and feel like the budget amp it is.

One caveat--I get a popping sound engaging pedals in the effects loop (some, not all). This seems to be well documented online as well. Haven't found a fix, so I may end up not using the loop until some savvy online person (or Marshall) gives us a fix.

 

[brogh]

I recently got a JTM Studio 20 and am also thrilled with the sound and build quality. Made my Origin 20 look and feel like the budget amp it is.

One caveat--I get a popping sound engaging pedals in the effects loop (some, not all). This seems to be well documented online as well. Haven't found a fix, so I may end up not using the loop until some savvy online person (or Marshall) gives us a fix.

Thanks i was really impressed, it's very neat and to me sounds very very nice, i didn't try the effects loop tough but i will before i get it, that would be annoying tough can you tell which ones pop and those that don't ? thank you !

Don't forget the SV20, which is the baby Plexi but still loud as hell. Switchable to five watts though.

The 1959 can work at home with an attenuator. Plenty of them out there, including a really good one the folks at the Marshall forum developed and now build. Other attenuators can work, like my Jet City Jettenuator.

If you are having trouble finding ones that work at 16 ohms, just remember that you can use a 2x12 instead of a 4x12. I use a Traynor 2x12 with Greenbacks at home and it is great; I use it with the baby Plexi and an Orange AD30.

As for the JTM45, I have no idea. I scored a 1962 Bluesbreaker reissue, which is a holy grail amp for me, a couple of days ago, but have been stupidly busy so haven't had time to play it yet. I do expect to need an attenuator with it though. Since I am now selling my SV20 I will use the Jettenuator with the Bluesbreaker.

that was more my gluttony talking

I considered the blues breaker, but this is more compact, i don't really need a 2x12 tough would be nice.

The only thing i was considering is to eventually get the head and 1x12 cab as it will make it easier to tweak the controls, tough more pricey .. we'll see. cmon looks pretty darn cool

I've considered going the used route but this model is not available used here, the full heads 2245/59 i can find are all more or less with cab in the sampe rice range, but will all prolly need some tech bench time to be sure all is ok, with possibly tubes to replace and what not, i figured i just want to take it easy and not to worry about that stuff, i just wanna play trough a nice amp

Thanks !!

 

[Annies Dad]

That has to be the best looking small amp ever built.

 

[brogh]

That has to be the best looking small amp ever built.

innit ?